Work-holder for article sewing machines



2 Sheets-Shea l J. L, MQQRE WORK HOLDER FOR ARTICLE SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 23, 1933 Oct. 23, 1934.

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WORK HOLDER FOR ARTICLE SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 2 awe/whom (fir/2n L. Moore www Patented Oct. 23, 1934 worm-Homes FOR .m'rrcm sawmo moms John L. Moore, Nashville, Temn, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Elizabeth,

Application September 23, 1933, Serial No. 690,639

10 Claims. (01. 1175-112) This invention relates to machines for sewing articles, such as garment fasteners of various types, including buttons, to fabrics and has for a particular object the provision of a machine of this type with a work-holder facilitating the sewing of flat buttons to the inner face of a trousers waist-band by through-and-through stitches positioned under and concealed by the usual beltloops at the outer face of the waistband.

A more general object of the invention is the provision of a work-holder for an article sewing machine which will hold the article to be attached to one face of the fabric, while holding displaced to one side of the stitching point or field another shiftable portion or layer of the fabric which would normally encroach upon such field upon the opposite face of the fabric.

The invention also aims to provide a workholder which will hold an article and a layer of fabric to which it is to be attached in proper sewing relation to one another, while holding another and stitch-concealing layer of fabric displaced to one side of the stitching field during the sewing.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter-appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth'and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a button sewing machine fitted with a work-holder embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front end ele-' vation of the work-holder with the lower worksupporting plate in transverse vertical section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the front end of the work-holder. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the lower work-supporting plate of the work-holder. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the work-supporting plate, and Figs. 6 and '1 are, respectively, outer face and sectional views of a portion of a trousers waist-band showing a button as attached with the aid of the present improvement.

The machine illustrated, in which the invention is embodied in one specific form, is of the wel known Singer No. 114 class, such as shown, for example, in patents to Fifield; No. 1,841,102; dated Jan. 12, 1932, and No. 1,514,609; dated Nov. 11, 1924. Such a machine has a bed 1, and

gooseneck 2 in which is mounted the usual stitchforming mechanism including the reciprocating needle 3 and rotary chain-stitch looper 4. The machine is adapted to be manually started and to automatically sew a group of a predetermined number of button-fastening stitches and then come to rest.

The work-holder and the mechanism for moving it during a sewing operation include the usual main lower bar 5 and upper laterally-separable button-gripping levers 6 carried by the upper bar 7 fulcrumed at its rearward end in a block '7 carried by the main lower bar 5. Jogging movements are imparted to the work-holder during the sewing operation by the usual connections with the feed-cam 7 I The button-gripping levers 6 are mounted on the upper bar'l in a well known manner for lateral reciprocal button-gripping and releasing movements, as shown for example in the patent to Barron et al.; No. 1,354,794, of Oct. 5, 1920. The upper button-gripping levers 6 and supporting bar '1 may be lifted against the pressure of the leaf -spring 7 by the usual manually operable lifting bar 8 which carries at its lower end a lateral extension 9 adapted to engageunder the hooked upper end of thepost 10 rising from the bar7. The vertically adjustable stop 11 on the head 2 rocks the bell-crank lever 12 when the bar 7 is lifted and functions to separate the levers 6 to release the article or button, as shown in the Barron et al. Patent No. 1,354,794, cited.

According to the present improvement, the lower work-suporting plate 13, which is carried by the main lower bar 5 and is formed with a substantially'rectangular sewing aperture 14, has rising therefrom a tubular pedestal 125 which encloses the field of the sewing aperture 14 and at its upper end has an outturned'fiange 16 which is curved upwardly at its outer circular edge 1'7 to form a shallow cup. The flanged pedestal 15 thus affords a laterally opening annular pocket 18, Fig. 2, into which a trousers belt-loop 19, which normally would encroach upon the stitching field, may he slipped while the portion of the trousers waist-band 20 directly over sa d beltloop is placed in the stitching field over the sewing aperture 14 in the flanged pedestal 15; the pocket 18 serving to hold the belt-loop 19 shifted or displaced to one side of the sewing aperture 14, so that the stitches 21 which fasten the button 22 to the waist-band 20 will not be passed through the belt-loop 19 but will be concealed at the outer face of the waist-band by the belt-loop when the work is removed from the machine.

The slightly upturned edge 1'1 of the pedestal- EN OFFICE flange 16 cooperates with the under faces of the downwardly spring-pressed button-holding levers 6, as shown in Fig. 2, to securely grip the portion '20 of the fabric to which the article or button face of the button 22 during the sewing operation.

It is the customary practice with clothing manufacturers to sew the buttons to trousers waist-bands before the belt-loops are attached. By virtue of the present improvement, the buttons may be attached after the belt-loops have been completely sewed on. The operators do not, therefore, have the buttons to contend with while stitching the trousers; the operation of attaching the buttons being the last operation before sending the trousers to the presser.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to machines for sewing on buttons as it is obviously applicable to machines of this general type for attaching articles of various kinds to fabric structures by through-and-through stitches to be concealed at one face of the fabric structure by a shiftable portion or ply thereof.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:'-

1. In an article sewing machine, the combina tion with stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, of means for clamping a portion of fabric and holding an article in position to be stitched thereto, andrneans for engaging an edge of another and stitch-concealing portion of fabric which normally" would encroach upon the stitching field and holding it 'to one side of such field.

2. In an article sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanismincluding a reciprocatory needle, of separable work-clamping elements for clamping a portion of fabric and holding an article in position to be stitched theree to, one of said clamping elements being formed with a laterally opening pocket for engaging an edge oianother and stitch-concealing portion of fabric'and holding it to one side of the stitching field.

3. In a work-holder for article sewing machines, the combinationwith downwardly spring-pressed article-holding means, of a plate disposed below the article-holding means and formed with a sewing aperture, and means on said plate having a face for supporting a portion of fabric to which the article is to be attached against the 'downpressure of said article-holding means, said means on said plate being formed below said face with a laterally opening pocket for receiving another and shiftable portion of the fabric and holding it displaced to one'side of said sewing aperture.

4. In a work-holder for article sewing machines, the combination with article-holding means, of a plate disposed below the articleholding means and formed with a sewing aperture, and means on said plate having a worksupporting face and means below said face for holding a shiftable portion of the work at the under side thereof displaced to one side of said sewing aperture.

5. In a work-holder for article sewing machines, the combination with article-holding means, of a plate disposed below the articleholding means and formed with a sewing aperture, and means on said plate presenting a laterally opening annular pocket for receiving a trousers-belt-loop and holding it displaced to one side of said sewing aperture.

6. In a work-holder for article sewing machines, the combination with article-holding means, of a plate disposed below the articleholding means and formed with a sewing aperture, and means on said plate and below said article-holding means for holding a shiftable portion of the work at the under side thereof displaced to one side of said sewing aperture.

7. A work-holder for button sewing machines having, in combination, downwardly spring- ;pressed button-holding means, a plate disposed below said button-holding means and having a sewing aperture, and a tubular work-supporting pedestal rising from said plate and surrounding said sewing aperture, said pedestal having an outwardly overhanging portion at its upper end.

8. Awork-holder for button sewing machines having, in combination, downwardly springpressed button-holding means, a plate disposed below said button-holding means and having a sewing aperture, and a tubular work-supporting pedestal rising from said plate and surrounding said sewing aperture, said pedestal having a work-supporting flange at its upper end.

9. A work-holder for button sewing machines having, in' combination, downwardly springpressed button-holding means, a plate disposed below said button-holding means and having a sewing aperture, and a tubular work-supporting pedestal rising from said plate and surrounding said sewing aperture, said pedestal having an outturned and slightly cupped work-supporting flange at its upper end cooperatively related to said button-holding means.

10. A special work-holder for sewing machines comprising, a support formed with a sewing aperture and with an adjacent pedestal outtumed at its upper end, laterally separable article-gripping elements disposed above said pedestal, and means for pressing said article-gripping elements into clamping engagement-with a fabric supported by said pedestal.

JOHN L. MOORE. 

